From a Small Workshop to a Global Name

Shizuoka, Japan — Shunsaku Tamiya, who transformed his father’s small woodworking shop into a globally admired maker of plastic model kits, died on July 18, 2025, at age 90. The company disclosed the news on its website without offering additional details. A private service for relatives was held.

Born in Shizuoka in 1934, Tamiya inherited a workshop producing wooden goods as Japan rebuilt after the war; his father, Yoshio, had kept it alive through difficult years. Seeing an opportunity in models and hobbies, he steered the firm toward wooden model ships and planes in the 1950s, applying traditional carpentry to achieve tight tolerances.

The shift to plastic remade the company’s trajectory. In the 1960s he pivoted to injection-molded kits, and the firm’s reputation grew rapidly. Modelers prized the precise fit—parts seated cleanly, with no need for excess glue—and the lucid instructions. The kits were more than toys; they taught builders how machines operate.

He often emphasized studying full-scale mechanisms before designing a kit, particularly for armor subjects, analyzing suspensions so moving parts behaved plausibly. For him, a model wasn’t just a miniature; it was a way to understand the real machine.

Recognition and Influence Beyond the Hobby World

That approach drew recognition well beyond the hobby. In 2018, Tamiya received a career achievement award from the Japan Media Arts Festival, organized by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, which credited him with redefining plastic models as objects that connect builders to real-world contexts and stories. The jury also highlighted the dramatic box art—painted scenes that fired the imagination—and the firm’s unusually cohesive early branding.

Many Japanese engineers and designers point to Tamiya kits as formative influences. The catalog spans military vehicles, race cars, ships, and aircraft, and numerous kits have remained in production for decades. Tamiya stayed involved with the company until recent years. The workshop in Shizuoka continues to operate, and the brand remains family-led. The hallmarks he championed—precision, clarity, and trust in the builder—still shape the kits that leave the factory today.

A Legacy That Endures

Guided by the motto “First in Quality Around the World,” Tamiya held that hobby products should meet rigorous engineering and design standards. His commitment to craftsmanship shaped generations of hobbyists and continues to inspire builders worldwide.